Project Description

This project is focused on Protonic Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC). The aim of the
project is twofold: to improve the PEMFC systems performance and to take full advantage of
PEMFC integration into Distributed Electrical Generation Systems (DEGS). The project results
will contribute to the definition of an integrated hydrogen based energy system, which has been
seen as a possible scenario for future energy supply in Europe. The project objectives are the
design, implementation and comparative analysis of controllers for PEMFC systems on one hand,
and on the other hand, the energy management and supervisory control that permits the
efficiency enhancement of Distibuted Electrical Generation Systems by means of hydrogen and
PEM fuel cell technologies.
Despite the great interest of the research comunity in PEMFC modeling and control, the
controllers described in the open literature still have to be improved and some problems remain
unsolved. The main challenges are avoiding slow degradation, achieving robust and reliable
operation, efficiency maximisation, and better energy and water management. These desired
properties of the controlled PEMFC could be achieved with the development of advanced models,
diagnosis tools, observers, multiobjective nonlinear controllers and integrated control structures.
In the distributed generation electrical nets of the future, where renewable energy sources will be
significant, hydrogen and fuel cells can play a key role for efficiency increase and performance
improvement. However, the operation of these systems has several aspects that must be
improved: security, reliability, power quality and accountability are required in spite of the
variability of injected power. With this objectives, supervisory control systems that implement
power management algorithms and coordinate the low level controllers have to be developed.